Dishonored Creative Director Stars New Studio After Xbox Killed Arkane, Vows to Carry the Torch for Immersive Sims 'Until I Am Dead'
The studio has 26 full-time staff and is led by former Arkane Austin developers aiming to keep immersive sims commercially viable.
- Former Arkane Austin head Harvey Smith and collaborator Ben Horne have formed Black Pony Immersive, a studio focused on building narrative-rich first-person action RPGs known as immersive sims.
- Xbox shut down Arkane Austin in 2024, just three years after purchasing the studio, prompting Smith and Horne to launch their independent venture.
- Design director Ricardo Bare, who previously worked on Redfall, Prey, and Dishonored, has joined the team to help create immersive simulations.
- Describing the current environment as "the worst time in history" to start a studio, Smith stated they are building games where they "reward players for their curiosity and exploration."
- The studio's name pays homage to Looking Glass Studios, with the team aiming to "chase a dream of mystery, meaning, and creative play" in upcoming projects.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Dishonored creative director founds new studio focused on immersive sims, and it's enough to make a grown man cry
Immersive sims are one of my favorite genres. It’s the one type of game where you’re genuinely given the chance to do whatever you want, all the while having an actual goal you’re meant to achieve. It combines linear design through missions and objectives with sandbox gameplay, resulting in incredible depth and variety between each playthrough. But we haven’t really gotten many of those in a long time now. Dishonored 2 came out a decade ago, as …
Dishonored Creative Director Stars New Studio After Xbox Killed Arkane, Vows to Carry the Torch for Immersive Sims 'Until I Am Dead'
Decorated veteran game developer Harvey Smith (Dishonored series, original Deus Ex series), most recently of Arkane Austin – which Xbox shut down in 2024 following the failure of Redfall – has opened a new game development studio. Dubbed Black Pony Immersive, it will indeed focus on the "immersive sim" genre that Smith helped pioneer evolve through his work as co-creative director on Dishonored, creative director on Dishonored 2, and lead game d…
Former Dishonored Director Starts New Studio, Black Pony Immersive, A Studio Focused on FPS Action-RPGs
Veteran game developer Harvey Smith (known for the Dishonored series, original Deus Ex series)has opened a new game development studio, Black Pony Immersive. With the fate of Arkane Studios all but guaranteed (effectively putting the Dishonored franchise on ice), franchise co-creator Harvey Smith has decided to branch out and make his own studio, geared towards bringing more experiences to audiences. Smith, the former director of the Dishonored …
Dishonored Director Plans To Continue Making Immersive Sims At New Studio
See full bio Bawal Zehri At Tech4Gamers, I hold the role of a News Reporter, where I merge my passion for gaming with my knack for storytelling. This unique blend allows me to bring you the latest updates, reviews, previews, and features from the gaming world. See full bio Story Highlight Dishonored director Harvey Smith has announced a new studio, Black Pony Immersive. The team also includes other former Arkane Austin developers after the tea…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 60% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
